Toddler Fun

Let’s have some toddler fun! What does that mean, anyway? Toddler fun can have a thousand definitions, and the wonderful thing about these little people is that anything can be fun so long as mommy and daddy are there, participating with a happy, upbeat, excited attitude. 

Toddler Fun: The Sky is the Limit

There is absolutely no limit to the ways that you can have fun with your child. Some tried-and-true options are:

• Dancing madly around the room to some upbeat music
• Water balloon fights in summer, with lots of giggles from both child and parent
• Finger-painting sessions, where the painting area is well-protected so there’s no worries and stress on the part of mom
• Chase in the backyard; first mom or dad catches, and then it’s junior’s turn.
• Making fudge: toddler’s jobs being mixing and tasting
• Making cookies: toddler’s jobs being mixing, tasting, rolling, and decorating

Of course, that is only the beginning.  There are so many wonderful things you can do with your toddler that will spell fun for him in big, bold, letters. There’s just one key, and if that secret ingredient is missing, your attempt at havingfun with your toddler will be one big flop.

The Secret to Extreme Toddler Fun

If there’s one secret to no-holds-barred, extreme fun kid-friendly activities, it’s mom and dad’s attitude. When mom and dad are brimming over with joy and want to share that joy with the toddler, the toddler is just going to pick it up. It’s that simple. If , however, mom and dad are stressed, worried about the clean-up, or just plain irritable, the toddler is going to catch that negative vibe right away and be able to enjoy the planned activity much less than he would have otherwise.

So if cookie making stresses you out because of the mess in the kitchen (or because your toddler might get his hand caught in the blender, or because you’re worried the results will turn out wrong, or because it brings back bad memories of being scolded by granny when she made cookies in the kitchen) skip the cookie making with your toddler. Do an activity you enjoy with your toddler instead. Then you’ll be happy doing it, your toddler will catch the happiness, and it’ll be fun all round. It doesn’t matter if it’s simple. Dancing madly around the living room doesn’t require any preparation, doesn’t have any clean up, and doesn’t have any wrong way. 

Often, fun toddler activities are best kept simple. If you’re doing arts and crafts, cooking, or anything that offers tangible results at the end, don’t expect your toddler’s results to be anything special. Don’t even expect them to look edible, if you’re working together in the kitchen. Let the creative work be on your toddler’s terms, and teach him to be happy with his own work, not to criticize the joy out of it or nitpick about every detail that went wrong. Perfectionist parents often end up with children who are afraid to try anything new. 

So if the goal of your activity or event is for toddlers to have fun, keep it to that. Let any other nice results be simply unexpected bonuses, and then you’ll be able to have a low key attitude that will give your child freedom to experiment, dream, and throw himself whole-heartedly into having fun, no holds barred. 

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